I'm more interested in what the telecoms think they get out of subsidizing Ford and Sununu. It's one thing to use them as conduits to pay make contributions to Congress folk. But to "shift public opinion?" Harold Ford? John Sununu? You gotta be kidding me.

An efficient market would have ended this gravy train for the likes of Ford and Sununu, who
can't persuade anyone of anything. Here's my suggestion to the telecoms to help their bottom line - stop throwing your money away on the likes of Harold Ford and John Sununu.

continue to spend money on ad campaigns they can't be sure are working. On top of which, they'd probably kinda, sorta like to believe that there is some possibility of underlying corruption. It's the inverse of the "no sit-down dinners" googoo rule.